1. Incorporation by Reference
This application hereby incorporates by reference U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/055,289, pending, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,566,375, 7,448,958, 7,448,957, 5,797,813, 6,676,534, 6,244,975, 6,627,027, 6,695,713, 6,843,732, 6,857,971, 7,186,189, and 7,347,792, each in its entirety.
2. Field of the Invention
This application relates to an improved grip for shafts. In particular, this application relates to an improved grip for the shafts of golf clubs.
3. Description of the Related Art
Applicant has previously developed resilient grips which successfully reduce impact shock to the muscle and arm joints of the users of golf clubs and also provide a feeling of tackiness between the player's hands and the grip. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,813 granted to Applicant on Aug. 25, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,732 granted to Applicant on Jan. 18, 2005, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,857,971 granted to Applicant on Feb. 22, 2005.
Applicant has invented other grips in which different physical characteristics, including color, tackiness, and durometer, could be included by using separate panels or strips, each having different physical characteristics as desired. Color is also varied by adding a region of paint over the outer surface of the grip.
While such grips have continued to prove satisfactory in reducing impact shock, they allow for only limited display of decorative designs and limited placement of colors. Further, adding additional panels and/or inserts creates seams between the colors and increases the cost of manufacture. In addition, adding a region of paint over the outer surface of the grip creates regions on the surface, namely where the paint is positioned, with reduced tackiness and altered wear properties.